After the Fire
by slinnie02
Summary: Seraphina was abused as a child. Now she has been living in hiding in the woods for over five years. Rye, a young hunter, found her and gave her food and peace in the woods. But good things don't last forever. A group of men kidnap Rye's family. It's up to Seraphina and Rye to save them now. Can they survive the hardships thrown their way? Is Seraphina's secret going to come out?
1. Chapter 1

**I just wanted to thank everybody who's giving my story a chance. I will try not to disappoint. I also wanted to say I'm sticking with the book ending and children age, not the movie.**

* * *

I sit behind my bush, subconsciously rubbing the scar on my side. I watch as the doe slowly bends down the take a drink out of the pond. The doe is relaxed, not suspecting a thing. I almost don't want to kill it. Almost.

Suddenly, the deer's head shoots up. It looks around, ready to run at any second. I know it can't smell me and I haven't moved for the past five minutes. There must be some one else here. My theory is confirmed. The poor doe didn't even have a chance to leap out of the way when an arrow enters its eye. The doe lies on the ground, dead. I panic. There are other hunters here. That means _he_ could be there too. But would he really follow me for six years? I don't even know what he's capable of. I start to hyperventilate. I can't let him find me. No matter what, he can never take me back.

To my relief, a female voice calls out. It's joyful and full of excitement, and I can't help but smile at the sound of it. "Mama, I got it! Did you see it? It went straight through the eye!" A teenage girl runs out toward the doe, scaring a flock of birds in the process. "Willow, slow down! You're scaring all the game!" A teenage boy enters next. He seems to be about my age, maybe older. "But did you see that? My first clean shot!" The girl (the boy called her Willow) has obviously never hunted very much before. A women , no younger than thirty five, comes out of the wood later. She has tired gray eyes and long braided brown hair. The girl looks like a younger version of her with blue eyes while the boy has blond hair and her gray eyes. "Rye, please carry the doe back to our house. Your dad is waiting for us." The boy-Rye-walks forward towards the deer. I back up, trying not to be seen. A twig snaps and his head shoots up. "Rye? What is it?" He stares straight at me, without seeming to see me. "Nothing, just thought I heard something." He continues to stare at me until he drags the doe out of sight.

After I wait a couple minutes, I stand, sure they're gone. Big mistake. I'm shoved against a tree. My head slams against the bark and stars cover my vision. I make out the boy. He says something I can't make out. He says it again. "Who are you and why were you watching us?" I open my mouth but no sound comes out. God, how do you speak again? "Huh? Why were you watching us?" I do the only thing I know how to do. I kick him in the gut. He bends over in pain and I escape.

I run. As fast as I can. I can hear him following me. How could I be so careless? My legs hurt and I'm out of breath. I'm used to being the predator not the prey. I've been running for at least twenty minutes and he's followed me for all of them. I do the only thing I can think of. I reach for the silver whistle hanging around my neck. I blow as hard as I can, but I can't hear sound coming out. A big black dog comes bounding around a tree. I single to it and it launches itself at Rye. I see him stuggling underneath the dog. I let the dog beat him up a little before calling him back and running away.

* * *

The next day, I sit in the same spot, watching a moose. It's the biggest thing I've seen in over a year. Loud stomping fills the forest. The moose runs away. I throw my spear pathetically. It misses and bounces uselessly against a tree. I curse then silence myself, praying the person coming down didn't hear me. The stomp has a limp, probably made recently. This isn't good.

"Hello? I know your here. I heard you and saw the spear." Shit. It's him. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to talk. And apologize. Just please come out." He's basically pleading now. I see Rye looking around for me. He looks right at the place I was sitting yesterday. He looks behind the bush only to find me not there. I hold my breathe, hoping he doesn't look here. "Look, I just want to talk. I brought bread." That almost makes me come out. I haven't had bread in so long. "Please. I just want to help you." He pauses, waiting. "I'm gonna leave now. I'll leave the bread here so you don't starve. But I'm coming back tomorrow." He leaves and after I'm sure he's gone-I'm more cautious than I was yesterday-I come out and grab it. I run back to my tree house.

It's more of a hollow tree than a house, just big enough to fit me and the black dog. I crawl in with my bread and whistle for the dog to follow me. I absentmindedly pet him while I eat the bread. I don't have a name for him. I have always called him "the black dog". I've trained him and calling him dog works well enough. No one's complaining.

* * *

The next day he comes to the same spot with bread. And the next day. And basically every day after that. He talks to me, pleading me to come out, telling me about what's happening in his life and in the outside world. Sometimes I think he thinks I'm not there. I am quiet and never show myself but I enjoy these. I look forward to it and some days I don't get much hunting done, just sitting there listening to him talk on and on about current events and how he's doing. He never brings his sister, Willow, down here or his mother, who I found out is Katniss Everdeen Mallark. His father never hunts and instead spends time indoors baking. His sister is terrible at both hunting and baking and instead draws and paints as much as she can. Her is good at both but did not inherit the artistic genes. President Paylor is resigning after 19 years of service and the election is coming early. This is the fourth year since the last election and she doesn't feel like she can wait one more for the election every five years.

He'll ask me to come out or at least tell him my name. I refuse every time, staying as silent as possible. But one day that changes.

* * *

"Over here! I found the Mallark house!" I tense at the voice. It can't really be him, can it? I freeze in fear, unable to move or run or hide. The heavy foot fall scares a flock of birds to the air and I watch as he shoots some of them down. I have never seen that much talent before (I was never allowed to go hunting) and I gasp. Someone spins towards me and I dart up a tree. I don't think he sees me. I sigh in relief. Then I realize there is someone else looking. One person asks "What's wrong with you?" "I could have sworn I saw Seraphina." The other man laughs "I think you're going crazy. She's dead, remember? She would not be able survive a day out here alone." They turn around and keep walking. I continue to follow them.

It all happens so fast. A house comes in sight. They get closer to it and throw the grenades. I want to scream, yell, shout, do anything so the people in the house will be safe, but I just stand there, frozen. Then I realize the grenades are not grenades but some type of gas bomb. The people come stumbling out. I recongnize them immediately. I am about to run to help them but the men start shooting. It hits Katniss and she collapses. I run up through the smoke where Rye and Willow are starting to fall. Inside the house, I see Peeta laying on the ground near a shell of the grenade. I hold Rye and Willow, dragging them out. I can only hope the smoke disguises me. Someone shoots and the bullet hits Willow on the back. I drop her, unable to carry that much weight. I drag Rye out and tie him to a tree. I hope they don't find us here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it it took so long for me to update. I have school and a social life. But thank you to the few viewers who are reading this for your patient. I hope you are not disappointed. This is my first book so please forgive any mistakes. Also this may be pretty short.**

* * *

"Rye?" I try to move over and feel his pulse. I nearly fall off my branch onto the hard dirt below. I grab the sturdy trunk of the tall oak I climbed into.

"Rye?" I try again. "Are you alive?" A soft moan come from his lips. I sigh in relief. He's not awake, but he's alive.

I spend the night fighting sleep and watching Rye. I jump at the slightest of sound, thinking it could be _him_ coming back. It never is. I think about the events from earlier. I'd like to say I couldn't think of any reason this could happen, but I could. I could think of a lot. I know what he does. I know what he's capable of. I can think of more than a few reasons why he would do this. Let's just say he's not the nicest man in the world.

* * *

I wake up when a drop of water touches my face. _Damn it!_ I fell asleep! I peak over at Rye. Still unconscious. I feel an other drop on my face. I look up. The clouds cover the sky, making it a charcoal gray. It looks like a storm. I need to get down before Thunder and lightning happens. Because sitting in the middle of a storm in a tall oak tree is not a good idea.

I untie the rope that holds me and Rye to the tree. I lower Rye from the tree by the rope. I climb down next. I know a nearby cave we can go to to get shelter from the storm. It may be a long way while carrying Rye, who must be at least 180 pounds.

* * *

When I finally get there, it's pouring rain and we are both soaked. It'll be a miracle if one of us didn't get pneumonia. Rye probably wouldn't survive. I started a fire and prop Rye up against the wall. I lay down by the fire and go to sleep.

* * *

I wake up to a soft moan. I bolt up and look at Rye. The firelight dances off his golden hair making it look like a halo. He stirs. He shifts and his eyes flutter open.

"What happened?" He blinks. After processing his surrounding, he sits up fast and looks around wildly. "What happened?" He demands "Where am I?"

"H-hi." I stutter. I was not prepared for this.

"Who are you?" He says, squinting at me as if that will reveal all the secrets to the universe.

"My name is Seraphina."

"Oh." He says. "I'm Rye."

"I know." I say.

He he looks at me with a confused look. Finally it dawns on him.

"That was you?"

I nod.

"What happened?" He asks again.

"It's a long story. A group of people-"

"Who were they?"

"Probably bounty hunters. They used some kind of gas on you. I think it kills. I got you out in time."

"What about Willow? Mom? Dad?"

I shook my head.

He sighs and put his head in his hands. I cough awkwardly. I don't have much experience when it comes to comforting.

He looks up. "Go on." He says defeatedly. "What did they want?"

"Well," I say, thinking over my answer, "the most logical thing is they need you gone. Your mother was a symbol of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. Someone wants to do something we're not going to be happy about."

He groans and put his head in his hands again. I sit awkwardly by the light of the dying fire. Again, people are not by strongest area of intelligence. He looks up.

"Is it possible they're still alive? Could my family live?"

"I suppose so." I say choosing my words carefully. He looks so hopeful and I can't bring myself to quash that hope.

"How did you know all that stuff? About the bounty hunters and stuff?" He asks. I hesitate for moment, staying silent.

"Because," I finally say slowly.

"The leader is my father."


	3. Chapter 3

"What?"

"Yeah." I say, wincing.

"How?" He asks amazed.

"Well," I say, "There's this thing called-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But how?"

I sigh. "Well, my mom met my dad in district 5 where she was helping with the war. They fell in love, got married, the usual. My mom gave birth to a baby girl. My dad wanted a boy and she conveniently, um, died. Then my mom gave birth to me and I was not as lucky as my sister. My mom died a couple hours after giving birth. My dad kept me because otherwise he would not have a heir. He never really told me what he did, I just figured it out from all the "hunts" he went on. And by all of the weapons he, uh, beat me up with."

"What?" Rye seems angry and I hate the way he looks at me with pity.

"And I ran away and here we are."

I sit there awkwardly. Rye just thinks and broods in his anger.

"Well," I say, breaking the silence. "What now?"

I start freaking out in my brain. Is it strange to open up to people this soon? I know I'm too trusting. Not really what you'd expect from an abused girl. I just try to find the good in everyone. I like to think they are still people I can trust in the world.

"Well, now we need to find out what they want to do."

I sighed. "I find it easier to lay low and hide so no one finds me. That way I don't bother anyone and no one bothers me. It works."

"I need to avenge my family. They can't just kill people and expect to get away with it." Why did I have to get stuck with a brace fool? Why couldn't I have rescued Willow instead?

"Im not gonna help you. I like living, so... bye!"

I got up and walked out. I could hear Rye calling after me. Was I really going to leave him? No, I'm not that weak.

* * *

I sit outside the cave, rubbing my side like I always do. I hear him walking to the entrance. Am I really going to do this? Yes. I am. As he walks out, I pounce on him. After some struggle, he goes limp under me.

"First thing you need to do if you're really gonna do this. You need to be aware of you're surroundings. I had the advantage in that fight because I had the element of surprise. Never let that happen."

He looks at me surprised. I get off him and help him get up. I waste no time.

"Second thing, you need to learn how to fight. You may be good at hunting, but they aren't animals. They have brains and will try to out wit you. Plus you're really weak. I barely had to use any effort to beat you."

We continue like this and I teach him how to fight. He is a quick learner and is a natural fighter. It gets dark and we head back to the cave.

* * *

A couple days later, he is amazing. Maybe even better than me. But he's also impatient. Very impatient.

"C'mon. We need to go. Who knows what they can do in four days?"

I sigh. "Fine. But you will listen to me."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. We leave tomorrow."


End file.
